Fighting games aren’t usually my strong suit, but of all the fighting games I’ve played, Soul Calibur 2 is the one I enjoy the most. I am not proficient in most fighting games; in fact, all I really do is push buttons and hope for the best. This is why Soul Calibur 2 works for me; a player does not need to know any of the combo attacks to be able to face the best players. I play against people who are much more skilled at this game than I am and still manage to win much of the time.

Soul Calibur 2 hasn’t changed much from its predecessors; Some characters have been added and some of the graphics have been changed along with all the new stages, but other than that I guess they figured out why change something that is working. The cool moves that a fan from previous games enjoyed have continued in this game alongside their favorite fighters. The characters may be a little different in appearance or movements, but it’s all for the better and not so drastic as to upset even the most die-hard fans of the early games.

The new characters that accompany all the console versions are Raphael, who is a fencer with a great reach on his sword, Talim who holds two swords in each hand and Necrid who uses the stances and attacks of the other fighter. These characters flow well with the feel of the original characters and bring more energy to the game. However, each console was given its own character that acts as the system’s mascot. The PS2 has Heihachi Mishima, which comes from Tekken, the Xbox has Spawn, which comes from picture comics, and the GameCube has Link from the famous Legend of Zelda games. Each fighter has special moves that are indicative of their origin.

Soul Calibur 2, unlike Mortal Kombat games, is more appropriate for children because it is not gory. However, I would recommend parental discretion before purchasing this set for anyone under the age of eighteen due to the violence involved. The basis of this game is simply to fight each other; there are characters who fight for the good side and characters who fight for the bad side. When the player tries to unlock items by playing against the computer, a story begins about the life of each of the characters. The player can unlock clothing, weapons, etc.

Favorites: Xianghua and Raphael

Fun: Maxi

Sexy: Ivy and Kilik

Creepy: Voldo

The reason Xianghua and Raphael are my favorites is that they both have great reach with their swords and move fast. Xianghua is the one I fight the best with; I haven’t bothered to learn any of his combos yet, but I can kick% !!! with her anyway. Maxi is fun to use even if you lose to him every time. He jumps all over the stage almost out of control (at least for me). Ivy and Kilik are sexy for the same reason; they look bad. Of course I don’t mean bad as ugly; I mean bad as sinful. These two have done it. As for the creep factor, I haven’t seen anything quite as bad as Voldo yet. I would not like to meet him in a dark alley; Or anywhere else! My nightmares can’t even evoke something so strange.

The mascot characters are actually my least favorite part of the game; they are a bit cheesy and very difficult to combat. Zelda is the worst of the three for being almost invincible. He can throw bombs, boomerangs, arrows or use his sword. If you are facing a player who uses it well, it is practically impossible to get close to him. There’s really not much else I can say bad about the game; except perhaps for the limited amount of changes from the original versions.

Soul Calibur 2 deserves all the praise it has received from critics. This game is fun and it is a gatekeeper unlike other games where you win and return to the store. Soul Calibur 2 deserves a lifetime spot in your video game library because it never gets bored and it’s fun to play with a group of friends.